Introit - “Come, Christians,Join to Sing” [Arr. by B. Carr] - Sarah Park
Welcome to Mantua Center Christian Church -- a community seeking to have open minds, open hearts, and open arms.
Scriptur - Psalm 145:8-11 - Rev. Nancy Humes
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all,
and his compassion is over all that he has made.
10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your faithful shall bless you.
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
and tell of your power,
*Response - Weave #495
Weave, weave, weave us together, Weave us together, in unity and love.
Weave, weave, weave us together, weave us together, together in love.
*Call to Worship - Rev. Nancy Humes
One: We come to hear the stories of other people in another world long ago.
All: We come to hear the stories that are also about us today in this place.
One: God, give us ears to listen.
All: Give us eyes to see.
One: And hearts to accept.
All: Amen.
*Opening Hymn - “Bring Many Names” #10 vs. 1 - 6
1 Bring many names, beautiful and good
celebrate, in parable and story,
holiness in glory, living, loving God.
Hail and Hosanna! Bring many names!
2 Strong mother God, working night and day,
planning all the wonders of creation,
setting each equation, genius at play:
Hail and Hosanna! Strong mother God!
3 Warm father God, hugging every child,
feeling all the strains of human living,
caring and forgiving till we’re reconciled:
Hail and Hosanna, warm father God!
4 Old, aching God, gray with endless care,
calmly piercing evil’s new disguises,
glad of good surprises, wiser than despair:
Hail and Hosanna, old, aching God!
5 Young, growing God, eager, on the move,
saying no to falsehood and unkindness,
crying out for justice, giving all you have:
Hail and Hosanna, young, growing God!
6 Great, living God, never fully known,
joyful darkness far beyond our seeing,
closer yet than breathing, everlasting home:
Hail and Hosanna, great, living God!
Invitation to Generosity
Invitation - Rev. Nancy Humes
Offertory/Music - “Living for Jesus”- [by C. F. Weigele] - Sarah Park
Response - “Give Thanks” #528
Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One,
give thanks because he’s given Jesus Christ his Son. Give Thanks!
Offering Prayer - Rev. Nancy Humes
Children’s Moment - Brian Hurd
Pastoral Prayer & The Lord’s Prayer - Rev. Nancy Humes
Holy Communion
Meditation - Brian Hurd
Hymn - Come Share the Lord #408, v. 1-3
1 We gather here in Jesus’ name,
His love is burning in our hearts like living flame;
For through the loving Son the Father makes us one;
Come, take the bread, come, drink the wine,
come, share the Lord.
No one is a stranger here, everyone belongs;
Finding our forgiveness here, we in turn forgive all wrongs.
2 He joins us here, he breaks the bread,
the Lord who pours the cup is risen from the dead;
the one we love the most is now our gracious host:
Come, take the bread, come, drink the wine,
come, share the Lord.
We are now a family of which the Lord is head;
though unseen he meets us here in the breaking of the bread.
3 We'll gather soon where angels sing;
we'll see the glory of our Lord and coming King;
now we anticipate the feast for which we wait:
Come, take the bread, come, drink the wine,
come, share the Lord.
Prayer - Roger Cram
Words of Institution - Roger Cram
Music -“Jesus Shed His Blood for Me” [By W. H. Doane] - Sarah Park
Special Music - “Meditation on ‘Kingsfold’” [by Penny Rodriguez] - Jan Green
“Creative God, You Spread the Earth” #697, v. 1-3
1 Creative God, you spread the earth with life in many forms:
The deer and elk and columbine, the bee in humming swarms.
Forgive us each flow’r and bird now vanished by our hand.
Teach us to treat with loving care the creatures of the land.
2 The planet teemed with living things before all human birth,
And even fire and beasts of prey renewed the life of earth.
Forgive us, that, the last to come, we threaten sea and air.
Teach us to tend life’s fragile web with wise and tender care.
3 O playful God, you fill the field with lavender and blue.
You paint the bird with indigo, with red or tawny hue.
Forgive us that we grieve your heart, destroying what you do
And teach us simpler gentler ways to live on earth with you
Scripture -John 10:1-16 - Rev. Dr. Alecia Evans-Hayes
1“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by
another way is a thief and a bandit. 2The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name
and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
Sermon -“The Good Shepherd” - Rev. Dr. Alecia Evans-Hayes
*Closing Hymn - Let There Be Peace on Earth #677
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me;
Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be.
With God our creator, children all are we,
Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me; let this be the moment now.
With every step I take let this be my solemn vow;
To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.
Benediction - Rev. Nancy Humes
Postlude- “I have Found Sweet Rest” [by L. N. Morris] - Sarah Park